I got home just before the 4th of July in the Summer of 1995. I was miserable. I was working for dad, which was fine, but it always felt like a cheat. I always felt I should have gotten another job, rather than always relying on my parents. Of course, I didn't. I was always lazy.

When I got home, I called and talked to Jennifer the week before the 4th. I told her that Clear Lake always has some good fireworks and I asked if she would be interested in coming up to see them.

"I am, but I don't have any way to get up there."

"I can come and get you. That wouldn't be a problem." Of course it wouldn't be a problem!

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am sure!" Besides, I thought, it will cheer me up to see her.

I went to get her and brought her up that day. It was actually the third and there was a party going on over at Chris Evan's parent's cabin that weekend. I had suggested we go to that and then see the fireworks since we would already be at Clear Lake. My sister was home visiting at this time and so she came along as well.

Deb hadn't really met Jennifer before this. She didn't know much about Jennifer, except for what I, or the parents, had told her. On the way over, she was asking her all of these questions as I was driving.

"So, what are you doing now?"

"Well, I started grad school last semester and I was going into a technical field, but I have been rethinking if I really want to do that. I am going to stick with it for now and see."

"Oh, that's neat. I always think I should know more about computers but I don't. Are you dating someone?"

Dammit Deb! I didn't really want to hear this answer. I really didn't want to hear about her boyfriend, especially since I knew he had been down fairly recently.

"Well," Jennifer started. I started to tune it out, not wanting to hear it as she continued. "We broke up."

*CRASH*

At least, my world did. I felt my body go numb. I felt my mind seize up at those words. Those beautiful words. I had wanted to hear those words for years now. And yet, hearing them now, I knew I couldn't do anything about them. It would be too soon. I was inexperienced as all get out when it came to these things but even I knew that my next statement to her couldn't be, "So, do you want to go out on a date?"

Deb and Jennifer were talking until we got to the cabin but I barely heard them. I heard a few statements about the break up and then Deb was asking more questions. I just drove. It took all of my concentration to keep us on the road.

We got to the cabin and there were a lot of people there. Rob Mathes, a good friend of mine, was there along with some others. Darcy Blackmer, a girlfriend of a friend of Chris' was there as well. I had met her a couple of times but I saw her boyfriend more, as he had been a roommate of Chris' when Chris was still single.

My sister acted her crazy self as usual. There is a light outside that is motion activated. We had enough people outside that for the most part, it stayed on. Every once in a while, though, it would go out and someone would have to move near the sensor to turn it on. Deb would do some crazy dance in front of it to activate it. Every time it went off. We were all amused by that.

I am not sure why but before the fireworks started, a long time before actually, Jennifer suddenly said she needed to go back to Ames. She realized she has some things to do and probably shouldn't have come up anyway. Would I mind taking her back?

"Not a problem. I will take Deb home and then we can go. I can always come back here."

"You will miss the fireworks, though. That's okay. I can go back tomorrow. I did bring some clothes."

"No, if you need to go back, that is fine. I can take you back."

Well, it turned out that Deb wanted to stay, and she could get a ride from some of the guys there. So I left to take Jennifer back.

We got to Ames after a pleasant ride and she asked if I wanted to stay. I said that I had better get back as I had some plans for the weekend. She smiled and thanked me and I couldn't shake the feeling that something had just happened here but I didn't know what.

It rained all the way home.

After Independence Day, I spent the rest of July sending out resumes and trying to find a job that wasn't me working for dad. I couldn't do this forever, as much as I wanted to. I mean, isn't that every person's dream: To be taken care of? It was not to be.

At this time, several of my friends were around Mason City or were coming to Mason City on the weekends. It was a good time because we were playing DND a lot. One of the guys who was playing was Rob Mathes and he was working in town. I asked him if where he was working they had any openings and he said they were always looking for people. I asked if he would take my resume in, or at least see that it got to the right person. He agreed and I gave him a copy.

It was at the end of July when the place that Rob worked for, Kingland, called me and wanted an interview. I had sent out maybe five resumes for jobs that I thought I would like and this was my first lead. A couple of days later I got an interview and the next day, I had a job offer. I accepted immediately, even though I had just gotten another call from a different company in town about an interview.

I was so excited! This was going to be great! I was making a lot of money, or so I thought, and really felt I was doing well. I was living at home, paying next to nothing for rent, and I had a lot extra cash.

The thrill of a new job, and a 'professional' one excited me. I was so ready to start Monday. I was supposed to report to Rob, who was going to show me what to do. Apparently my boss was out of town the first week on a business trip. As it happened, Rob and I arrived at the same time.

Four weeks went by before I got my first paycheck. I didn't understand that at the time. Perhaps it was because dad always paid me at the end of the week for that week's work. I still remember how happy I was to hold that paycheck in my hand. It was a lot of money! At least, for me at the time, it was a lot of money.

By now, it was late August and school had started again for Jennifer, so she was on a little more regular schedule. I had been calling her about every two weeks and we would talk for hours. This was so unlike me. I would also be the one talking. About nothing and everything. I just liked hearing her voice. She never hung up on me either, which I thought was good.

During one of those talks, she told me that she had gotten involved with the SCA, or Society for Creative Anachronisms, which attempts to recreate the medieval ages. They had certain events during the year, one of which was a Harvest Feast, which would happen in late October. She asked me if I was interested in going.

"Of course. Do I need to bring anything? Does it cost something?"

"Well, actually, do you have a costume?"

"No. Do I need one?"

"Yeah, you probably do. It would be best, anyhow. What about this? What if you come down some weekend and we get you a costume made? I have met some people who sew their own costumes and I am sure we could get Karen to sew one for you."

"Okay, when do you want to do this?"

"Well, it can't be for a couple of weeks. I have a lot going on right now. Why don't we plan on a couple of weeks from now and just see what happens?"

"Okay. I am sure I will call you several times before then, anyway."

"You had better! Well, I better get going. Take to you later."

"Bye." I had better? Did that mean anything?

This obviously got me very excited, to go down and see her in Ames. I had stayed with her before like this but now things just felt different. I couldn't explain it but it just felt different. But, I had other plans before that weekend and I was going to be busy.

Chris and Carrie were living in Cedar Falls at this time and both were involved with TEC, or Teens Encounter Christ. They asked me if I wanted to help with it this year, at Columbus High School in Waterloo. I had helped them out a couple of years ago and had really enjoyed it for many reasons. When they asked me, I agreed.

To get ready for TEC requires about eight meetings before hand. Each meeting is one a Sunday, so it takes about eight weeks to get ready for TEC, which is a three day event, Saturday to Monday. At these meetings, the people in charge take us through the weekend and those of us giving speeches, called mediations due to their personal nature, practice speaking and get comments back.

I usually made a weekend out of the meetings, and would stay with Chris and Carrie for the weekend before the meeting. Chris was always working when I got to Cedar Falls, where they lived, so Carrie and I would talk for a long time. I complained about how I wasn't sure what to do with Jennifer and in Carrie I found a very nice sympathetic ear.

In deciding to agree to work on TEC, I knew that I wanted to be with the young people as they went through it. Even though I hadn't been through it myself, I wanted to be there as they experienced it. I didn't want to work behind the scenes on something like this. Fortunately for me, Chris and Carrie knew the couple that was running it and I got my wish. That just made things easier for me as it was the part that I wanted to do.